JD Penny Shield. Queens. Saturday March 30th
Tariq hitting the opening tee shot of our 2024 season.
Our first event of the season got underway this morning in beautiful sunny conditions on the queens and stayed that way until the tail end of the record field of 43 players got hit by a thunder, hail and rainstorm towards the end of the back nine. As per the various descriptions in this and previous articles the winner of the PD Penny Shield is whoever returns the best NETT score and just to be clear that means that you must complete every hole…. several people apparently thought it was a stableford but I suspect this might have been a ploy to avoid winning the trophy that no-one wants to take home…..
IF it had been a stableford then Jonathon Fletcher with 40 points would have won but he didn’t finish the 7th hole
(a 9 would have been good enough to win). Kevin Dickson with 37 points would also have come close and both can look forward to handicap cuts.
Fortunately David Mitchell can read and his Nett 66 playing in the first group out held up to land him his first trophy of the season. Mark (the bridesmaid) Higham came second as usual and Alistair Shand and Paul Lewis were the only others to break 70. Well done David and hopefully you have somewhere suitable to put it.
Next week we do have a stableford, on the PGA this time, and remember to look out for the Draws for the Singles and Foursomes Knockouts which are coming shortly.
Talking of Knockouts the final of the Winter Fourball is taking place tomorrow, on the Kings at 1.40. Good luck to both teams.
Leading scores as shown, all scores can be viewed on the Scottish Golf Website.
29/3; Tee Booking (am via email) and Scorecard notification (pm via the app) issued. If you didn’t get either of these then please check junk, notification settings etc.
Preferred lies are still in operation but gimmies have gone so all putts must be holed. Its also our first counting event of the season. Good Luck and Play Well! See you in the bar afterwards.
27/3: Draw added. 28/3 draw updated
You can enter this on the app now and the draw will appear in the next few days. If anyone has any special requests please let me know.
Draw as shown but is subject to change. The groups at 8.20 and 10.00 each include two guests.
History.
James D Penny Shield first played in 1981: In 1980 the Club Minutes report that communication had been made with Mrs. Penny regarding the type of competition which should be instigated as a memorial to the late James D Penny who had been the Secretary of Dun Whinny for some 40+ years and who died in 1977. The trophy is awarded for the best net score from the front tees of the Queens course. At this time the Club was in contact with Churchill Park Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia with a view to arranging hospitality and golf with a party of their members on a visit to Gleneagles in 1981. Historically Dun Whinny had played an annual match with Churchill Park with teams drawn and a Stableford match played on the same day in each country and the results were then telexed back and forth between the Clubs. In 1981 a party of 30 members of Churchill Park accompanied by 25 wives visited Gleneagles and the match for the first time was held head to head. During this visit Dun Whinny was presented with a new trophy which was then named the James D Penny Memorial Trophy and this was accepted on behalf of the Club by Gillian Penny – James Penny’s daughter. The trophy itself is sheet of beaten copper depicting the Churchill Park Club badge and is mounted in a hardwood frame and is designed to be hung on a wall. The trophy has some historical significance to Dun Whinny but is one which members have all said they have difficulty in accommodating due to its size.